This information struck like hammers, heavily smashing against every Maine crew member's cognitive barriers.
Massive Imperium spanning star seas, bizarre cults worshipping technology as deities, plus a universe described as eternal battlefields...
Every concept far exceeded all experiences they'd accumulated in Night City, tearing irreparable gaps in their inherent worldviews.
"Wait... the boss... he's one of these 'Mechanicus' people?" Pilar blinked, voice carrying bewilderment. He attempted understanding this concept but obviously failed. "He treats those machines and codes... as gods? What... what does that even mean?"
Falco instinctively adjusted shades. Eyes behind lenses filled with unprecedented gravity. He attempted finding reasonable explanations yet discovered all logic appeared pale at this moment: "From these descriptions, probably so. And... power he controls might not be ordinary within this system."
Dorio crossed arms. Bronze arm muscles unconsciously tensed. She attempted linking this information with personal situations yet only felt chills.
"A universe perpetually at war... no wonder he'd find us. No wonder he'd give us these..." Her words didn't finish, but that uneasy sensation of being swept into greater torrents had already permeated.
Kiwi didn't participate in discussions. She only silently stared at holographic image portions about Mechanicus monopolizing knowledge and technology. Deep-red coat collar seemed pulled even higher.
Those descriptions gradually overlapped with images of the "boss" she knew. Far from bringing understanding, it made her feel deeper chills originating from unknowns.
Everything familiar—rules and common sense—here seemed losing meaning.
Besides browsing materials, their meals also became adaptation portions.
Ignis regularly dispatched people delivering grayish-white, dense starch blocks—zero flavors, only providing most basic energy and nutrition.
Textures dry and rough, requiring small amounts of purified water for swallowing.
Rebecca nearly vomited during first attempts, complaining endlessly. But to maintain stamina, everyone could only force themselves eating.
——
While Maine's crew endured days like years in camps, Ignis hadn't been idle.
She'd just finished handling one critically important task—receiving and executing latest directives transmitted by that servo-skull arriving alongside otherworld guests.
These directives were latest instructions Tech-Priest Cairo formulated at the other end after confirming preliminary transport experiment successes, transmitted through servo-skulls.
Among them, most critical directives commanded her immediately sending special encrypted data packets to escort ships on orbital standby. These data packets contained exploration reports Cairo meticulously compiled in otherworlds.
Ignis faithfully executed commands, ensuring this report could—through astropaths aboard escort ships—accurately reach their affiliated Forge World via soul whispers traversing Warp tides.
This report embodied Cairo's strategies.
He deeply understood within Mechanicus bureaucratic systems, successful explorations must have "discoveries." But overly astonishing discoveries would attract countless unnecessary attention and scrutiny—contradicting his core interests secretly researching dimensional transport technology.
Therefore, in reports, he strongly downplayed true gains on this death world.
He described that cavern ruins hiding dimensional transport devices as large-scale yet extremely-severely-damaged Dark Age of Technology remnants—internal structures collapsed, core databases thoroughly obliterated, most recoverable technological creations already rusted or deactivated.
Report conclusions leaned toward "archaeological value exceeding technical value," implying this exploration's input-output ratios were low—nearly failed expeditions.
However, completely empty-handed returns equally defied logic, also making him lose value in Forge World upper echelon eyes.
Thus, Cairo cleverly packaged things.
He described that rogue AI sample captured from cyberpunk world network depths as "ancient logic cores discovered within relatively-intact shielded chambers at ruins' deepest portions, in stasis states."
In reports, he deliberately avoided sensitive vocabularies like "intelligence" or "consciousness," instead emphasizing their structures' "uniqueness and antiquity."
He speculated these cores might contain some pre-Imperium era data processing paradigms or machine logic fragments—possessing extremely high "archaeological research value." Carefully hinting that reverse-engineering them might bring unexpected breakthroughs to Forge World technical bottlenecks in certain specific computational domains.
Through such meticulous wording, he successfully packaged potentially-"Abominable Intelligence"-taboo-violating dangerous goods into ancient "curiosities" worthy of deep research from antiquity.
Before writing this report, Cairo had carefully evaluated consequences various options might bring.
He wasn't without considering more sensational discoveries. For example, if he'd chosen reporting that dimensional transport device itself connecting otherworlds as primary discoveries—this would undoubtedly trigger shockwaves among Mars even entire Mechanicus highest levels.
However, such attention levels were double-edged swords.
It indeed could bring supreme glory and resource tilts. But accompanying it inevitably came Mars' direct interventions, countless prying eyes, plus endless scrutiny and interrogations. His wasteland workshop, all activity traces in otherworlds—would be exposed under spotlights. This was absolutely unacceptable to him.
Comparatively, this meticulously-packaged "ancient logic core"—its value appeared just right.
It was sufficiently unique and enticing, sufficient arousing Forge Master Caspar Vox's strong interest, satisfying his urgent needs seeking "characteristic" breakthroughs for Forge Worlds.
After all, any discoveries related to ancient data processing and logic architectures—even barely touching edges—sufficed letting Forge World Nexam obtain unique labels within Mechanicus' competitive academic circles, thereby occupying more advantageous positions when contesting Imperial orders and resources.
Simultaneously, it remained sufficiently vague yet carrying certain sensitivities—wouldn't immediately trigger Mars' large-scale, direct dominant interventions. This reserved ample operational space and maneuvering room for Cairo.
He precisely predicted Forge Master mentalities—namely desires elevating Forge World statuses would very likely override rigid adherence to certain doctrinal details.
As long as subsequent research processes didn't blatantly violate Crimson Protocols' core commandments, didn't cause uncontrollable adverse impacts—Mars typically inclined toward default permission even covert encouragement toward subordinate Forge Worlds conducting some fringe, high-risk yet potentially-high-return research projects.
According to Cairo's simulations, this "ancient logic core" discovery—its brought merits plus his past accumulated contributions—sufficed constituting sufficient, appropriate reasons, enabling him smoothly passing strict deliberations for promotions to Magos.
From Tech-Priest to Magos—this wasn't merely title changes. It meant qualitative authority elevations, qualifications independently leading large research projects and military operations, plus access to more core resources.
Including more powerful Skitarii detachments, starship command authorities, even accessing higher-level knowledge permissions.
This was critically important steps in his plans.